But is all seriousness, I don't think any prediction about which country will dominate the 21stcentury can be made at the moment. There is simply to many issues up the air at the moment and many more on the horizon for any accurate prediction to be made. Anyone who has studied history can tell you that things don't always play out like they logically should, and that momentous events in history can sometimes can appear at the most unlikely of times and places.

China will undoubtedly become rich and powerful, but there is no indication that it will exercise any form of cultural domination, and it has no political model to offer to others (beyond the brute exercise of power). I foresee a more multipolar word, in which different nations and regions exert different forms of influence.

China will undoubtedly become rich and powerful, but there is no indication that it will exercise any form of cultural domination, and it has no political model to offer to others (beyond the brute exercise of power). I foresee a more multipolar word, in which different nations and regions exert different forms of influence.

I agree. I think the era of one dominant country is over. BRIC will each influence their parts of the world as opposed to just China dominating over everyone else.

China will undoubtedly become rich and powerful, but there is no indication that it will exercise any form of cultural domination, and it has no political model to offer to others (beyond the brute exercise of power). I foresee a more multipolar word, in which different nations and regions exert different forms of influence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mingming

I agree. I think the era of one dominant country is over. BRIC will each influence their parts of the world as opposed to just China dominating over everyone else.

Yes, I agree with this line of thought too. As the author of the article, Fareed Zakaria, states: "China is not rising in a vacuum".

However, the PRC has still some major problems to overcome before it can become a major world power. Its military capabilties are still not very impressive and its political system, which Zakaria describes as "in crisis", does not foster the education of people who will become the creative, enterprising and critical citizens you need to become truly powerful.